A Bud in the Sun
by WoHoYo
Summary: Hinata's engaged to the Hokage, Naruto. Naruto has a best friend, Sasuke. Two years after Sasuke's return to Konoha and the Fourth Shinobi War, he's still considered an outcast. Seeing this, Naruto pleads with Hinata to become Sasuke's friend in hopes that her kindness will save him as it did to him. [SasukexHinata and slight NaruHina and NaruSaku]
1. It Was Good

_Summary: _Hinata's engaged to the Hokage, Naruto. Naruto has a best friend, Sasuke. Two years after Sasuke's return to Konoha and the Fourth Shinobi War, he's still considered an outcast. Seeing this, Naruto pleads with Hinata to become Sasuke's friend in hopes that her kindness will save him as it did to him. [SasukexHinata and slight NaruHina and NaruSaku]

**A/N: **My first Naruto series and my first time writing in a long time. Excuse me if my writing is a tad horrible, hehe.**  
**

* * *

**"It Was Good"**

That morning, Hinata woke up in bed with her bangs stuck to her sweaty forehead and her heart racing. She grasped her head while staring at her lap, trying to calm herself down with much failure. It had been two years since the Fourth Shinobi War… and since Neji's death. Yet, she was still having nightmares about it from time to time.

Despite everything that happened, Konoha and the other hidden villages managed to get back on the right track. Tobi, otherwise known as Obito, had been defeated along with the Infinite Tsukiyomi plan. Madara had also met his end. But even though the shinobis won, somehow it didn't feel too much like a victory.

Hinata dragged her legs out of bed, feeling the cold, wood floor beneath her feet.

"Good morning Hinata-sama," greeted one of the Hyugas from the other branch of the house. "I've already warmed your water and prepared breakfast for you."

Hinata smiled warmly to the other Hyuga, "Thank you Kame-san," she slightly bowed her head. "Good morning father," Hinata said, seeing her father in the dining room. She sat across him, quietly eating.

"You're up so early," her father noted.

Hinata paused momentarily, feeling a chill from just remembering her nightmare. "I wanted to speak with you, if you're not busy."

Her father raised a brow, putting down his cup of green tea. "Speak."

Hinata averted her eyes as she usually did when she was nervous or uncomfortable. It's not like she wasn't on good terms with her father. After the chuunin exams a while back, her father had finally started seeing her as more of a daughter rather than a burden.

Finally, she mustered the courage to look him in the eye. "I know it's the custom for Hyugas to live on the Hyuga compounds, but I wanted to discuss about…" Dare she say it? Hinata gripped onto her shirt, wondering why she was even bothering to ask when she already knew the answer was going to be no. "Moving out," she whispered meekly.

Her father, of course, was curious as to why she would want to live on her own.

When her father asked why, Hinata blushed immensely. She had been meaning to tell him the news earlier, but being the insecure and easily frightened person she was, she figured this would be the best time to tell him. "I, um… have accepted a marriage proposal from Naruto-kun." A smile crept onto her red face as she recalled how he bent down on one knee and held out a simple ring.

Hiashi's jaw literally dropped as he gawked his daughter. "From the sixth Hokage?" he asked, suddenly beaming as he was already imagining being the father-in-law of Naruto, the current village leader.

After the battle with Pein, the majority of the village had finally found respect for Naruto, who they used to hate and fear because of the fact that he is the vessel for the Kyuubi. Their admiration for him only increased after the defeat of Obito and Madara. Naruto proved his loyalty and strength to the village numerous times, and it was clear that he was entitled to be the sixth Hokage.

Tsunade, the previous Hokage, retired a year after the fourth Shinobi war and thus Naruto claimed the title of Hokage.

Embarrassed to the point that turning even more red was impossible, Hinata gave a nod, hoping her father would give her permission to marry Naruto and end the conversation. For a second, her fingers were just about to poke each other, a bad habit she'd started in her youthful days. She clasped her hands together, trying to remain calm and hopeful.

"If it's Naruto, then I approve," he simply said. Of course, had Naruto still been the knucklehead that he was years ago, Hinata's father would never have said yes.

It was only through his hard work and determination did he get everyone's acknowledgement. This, Hinata did not really appreciate. Of course, she was happy for Naruto, but she wished the village would've noticed him long ago, not only now because of his accomplishments. He suffered years of loneliness because he was a jinchuuriki, and she didn't find it fair that everyone only started to care because he became a hero. Still, she was happy that Naruto had finally made friends. She always knew he would.

A relieved sigh escaped her thin lips and she gave a bow, "Thank you father." However, much to her embarrassment, the conversation did not end there.

"Since when did you start seeing him?" Hiashi asked, unable to restrain himself from asking the question. He was impressed at how well Hinata and Naruto hid their relationship since he always had her on constant surveillance.

"A-A while now…" Hinata answered, too numb to answer specifically.

To be precise, she and Naruto had started dating for about three months now. They didn't pick up immediately after the war. In fact, their relationship was quite slow to blossom. She let him know that he didn't need to feel obliged to return her feelings just because she was willing to sacrifice her life for him more than twice. Naruto agreed, but was more than eager to get to know her better.

A few conversations between her and Naruto led to dates and eventually, what started out as pure friendship became love. When Naruto first heard Hinata's confession during his fight with Pein, he felt ashamed at himself for not noticing that there was someone so close to him who loved him so much.

"Also, Hinata-"

"Hinata's dad!" A high pitched voice yelled, echoing throughout the (once) quiet Hyuga mansion. The door behind Hinata opened, revealing Naruto who had stomped into the area without permission, as the servants were panting, trying to catch up to Naruto. "Please give me permission to marry Hinata!" He dropped to the floor, bowing down with a determined face.

That was it. Hinata fainted.

Hiashi's stunned face gradually turned into an amused one. He chuckled, "You can ask Hinata what I told her when she awakes."

Naruto gasped, seeing her unconscious body laying before him. "Oi, Hinata, snap out of it!" He shook her violently, perhaps only making her even dizzier.

Hiashi grinned to himself. He always worried about Hinata and the sake of his future grandchildren because she was the epitome of a wallflower. "Looks like our daughter is going to be okay," he told to his deceased wife.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

"Woah, this is… amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, running around his and Hinata's new home. His heels screeched at the expensive bamboo floor as he stopped to make turns around the rooms and hallways.

Hinata held a ghostly smile, pleased with his reaction. Despite him being a man now and the Hokage at that too, he was still a child at heart, something she wished would never wear with age.

However, she still couldn't stomach the thought that she would be living together with Naruto, the person she loved for so long that it seemed like a dream. She could remember herself always hiding and secretly watching him from afar, and now she was going to be married to him. She sat down on a nearby chair, steadying her wobbling knees.

"Hinata! Check out the bathroom, it's huge!" Naruto demonstrated its length by stretching out his arms. "The bath could fit two people in it- eh, Hinata?" he watched dumbly as she combusted with the thought of her and Naruto sharing a bath together. Her weak heart couldn't handle it.

The home had two bathrooms, one in the master room and one in the hallway for guests. Besides the master bedroom, it had two other rooms which were still fairly large. Then there was the kitchen and the living room. In the back, there was a garden with a small koi fish pond and a rose garden. All in all, everything was quite fancy though not too over the top.

If there was one regret about the place, Hinata would've wished that it was smaller and more "homey." It was too large for just her and Naruto and she doubted that there'd be any guests staying over.

Still, her father had been the one to pick it out and he insisted on paying for it too. He wanted nothing less for his daughter. He told her, as she recalled, "It's got to be big. You are going to have children, right?"

Hinata pursed her lips, feeling shy again. She doubted that she'd ever get used to being with Naruto. It was all too… surreal. "Ah, don't hurt yourself," she reached out for Naruto, who was jumping on their large bed. Realizing that her warnings were futile, she giggled to herself at how silly he was. "Eh?" she gasped, feeling him pull her onto the bed with him.

"Hinata," Naruto said, suddenly serious. He stared into her milky white eyes, gaining her full attention.

Too stunned to react, Hinata could only look at him, hypnotized by his blue orbs.

The blonde grasped her small hands, caressing her soft ones with his calloused ones, "I-"

Appearing from the side, an ANBU member arrived, "Your presence is required, Lord Hokage."

A loud groan echoed in the house. "Man, I hate meetings," Naruto sulked, throwing his head back in annoyance. "I thought being Hokage would be more fun than this," he whined.

Hinata couldn't help but laugh. Every now and then she would forget that was she engaged to the Hokage. Adjusting to his lifestyle would be quite the challenge, but she was more than prepared to support him as his future wife.

"Gomen Hinata, you'll have to decorate this place by yourself," Naruto said, looking at their belongings which lay at the doorway.

Hinata shook her head, "It's okay. I hope you don't mind how I place them."

Naruto's smile suddenly faded. One hand placed upon her pale cheek and the other gripping her wrist so that she wouldn't run away in fright, he leaned in for a kiss.

She froze, seeing how close he was to her. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, becoming louder in the empty house. Despite doing this many times before, this time she just couldn't help but push away. "Th-there's someone watching," she meekly told, covering her face with her sweaty palms.

Naruto halted, throwing a glare at the ANBU, "Can't you see you're ruining the mood here?" he asked, flinging his arms as he threw a tantrum.

"M-My apologies," he told sincerely while dodging a pillow and disappearing.

Naruto sighed, "Well anyway, I don't know when I'll be back, but I asked someone to come and help unpack our things since carrying in the heavy furniture wouldn't be something for a lady to do."

Hinata grew flustered at his being considerate, too much that she didn't realize someone else had arrived at the scene.

"Ah, he's here. See you Hinata. Don't be too scared of him; he may scowl, but he's like that with everyone heh heh," Naruto joked before running out the door. "Don't harass poor Hinata too much, got it Sasuke?" he threatened, patting his longtime buddy on the back and receiving a snort in return.

At that moment, Hinata shuddered. Sasuke? He was here? She slowly climbed off the bed as she heard Naruto exit the house, leaving her alone with the Uchiha.

Sasuke belonged to the Uchiha, a powerful clan with the bloodline limit Sharingan. They resided in Konoha before the infamous massacre, caused by Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother. Through a series of events, Sasuke had become an Avenger and a rogue ninja to Konoha. However, he proved his worth after his aid in the Fourth Shinobi War.

Even so, Hinata had a feeling that he wasn't too much like Naruto, hence why she found herself in a nerve wracking situation. Sasuke preferred to be alone and he hated weak people. She could remember him being her classmate during their academy days but she couldn't recall ever making conversation with him, even prior to the Uchiha massacre.

It's not like she feared Sasuke for what he did in the past. He just intimidated her-

"He-Hello Sasuke-kun," Hinata said in a shaky and inaudible voice as she approached him from behind. Was that her first time speaking to him? She halted, fearing that if she got any closer, he'd be annoyed with her crowding. "Thanks for coming to help with the moving-"

"Where do you want this?" Sasuke asked, not even bothering to greet her. He kicked the side of the dining table. His onyx eyes were, as usual, void of emotion and unenthusiastic.

A little surprised by his gruffness, it took a moment for her to respond. Realizing she was acting childish, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "At the far right of the kitchen. Here," Hinata reached out to grab the other end of the table, "let me help-"

Sasuke ignored her, single handedly carrying it by himself with little effort. It seemed he was in a hurry; perhaps he was busy? Hinata felt bad. The rest of the moving was carried out in a routined fashion: Hinata instructed him where to place the furniture and he obliged robotically.

All in all, it took about 30 minutes to get the couches, the refrigerator, tables, and suitcases into the house. Hinata stared in awe at how quickly her new home was filled with her and Naruto's belongings. She felt she should applaud Sasuke for doing such a fabulous job by himself. Maybe asking him to stay for dinner would do well for payment, she figured. "Ano… Sasuke-kun, eh?"

No sign of the Uchiha. He had left as soon as he had finished.

* * *

**Later**

"_What kind of food does Sasuke like?" _Naruto asked, curious as to why Hinata would want to know such a… strange fact.

Hinata held the phone to her ear as she spoke to the blonde while searching through her fridge. It was useless to ask anyway; their fridge was as good as empty. She should've known it'd be like this since they just moved in. "He left without saying a word and I wanted to make food for him in thanks." She nearly dropped her phone with a sheepish yelp as a loud laugh came from the other side of the phone.

"_That's Sasuke for you! That rude jerk."_

Hinata softly laughed, thinking Naruto had it the other way around, seeing as Sasuke did help with their moving in. "It's okay that you don't know," she replied, "I recall a rumor about him liking simple rice balls." Back then, she could briefly recall a group of girls gossipping and talking about Sasuke's likes and dislikes - onigiri being one of his likes.

Naruto sighed and complained about how bored he was in the office and saying how he completely understood why Tsunade would bail on her work sometimes. _"Well since you're heading to the store to buy food, stock up on the ramen okay?" _

A smile plastered onto her face and she nodded to herself. "Naruto-kun… do your best," she whispered, hoping he managed to hear it. She knew he did when she heard him grinning on the other side too.

"_You too Hinata, but don't press your luck. Sasuke can be stubborn so don't be upset if he slams the door on your face."_

That word of advice didn't make her feel too good. How many times had Sasuke slammed the door on Naruto's face for him to say that so casually like it was an everyday thing? Well, she sure hoped she wouldn't be one of his door-slamming victims next.

* * *

**That Night**

"... Stocking up for the apocalypse?" the cashier asked, quirking a brow while eyeballing the 2 carts that were filled to the top with cup ramen.

Hiding behind the bangs of her hair to hide her embarrassment, Hinata shook her head no, explaining that her friend (it still seemed alien to call Naruto her fiance) really loved ramen. The cashier gave a nod, probably thinking to himself that she had a strange friend. After paying for the groceries, Hinata headed home. "I'll bring the carts back tomorrow," she promised to the cashier.

He nodded, not too concerned that Hinata would break her promise. It was quite well known in the village of how the kind and sincere the daughter of the main branch's Hiashi was, so he didn't feel the need to say no.

That night, as Hinata made dinner, she figured Naruto wouldn't be coming home because of all the paperwork he had. This wasn't the first time he had to sleep at the office overnight. "U-Um… would you like me to drop off anything?" She felt bad that she couldn't do much to support him. "Perhaps some food? Clothes?"

A cheeky laugh broke the silence, _"It's not bad having a wife to take care of me," _Naruto said to himself on the other side of the phone.

Hinata nearly fainted. She took a seat at the dining table, just in case her heart did decide to give out on her. "Te-Technically I'm not your wife yet-"

"_Thank you Hinata, but I'm fine. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow." _He hung up.

A long drawn out sigh left her parted lips. Was it wrong that she felt relieved that she wouldn't be sharing a bed with him? She could barely contain herself around him; how could she stay calm in bed with him?

Putting the phone down, she got up and prepared to make some onigiri.

* * *

**Later**

"Um…" Hinata stared before her a (seemingly) empty building. None of the lights were on in the apartment rooms and it seemed like there were no residents living there. She glanced back down at the little piece of paper that had an address written on it and back up at the place.

There was no mistake. Sasuke's apartment was amongst one of the many in the building. But where were the neighbors? It seemed abandoned almost. The whole place just screamed "haunted" and was oozing an ominous aura that warded off unwanted company. Hinata rubbed her eyes, trying to see clearly. She thought she saw the building surrounded by a haze of purple smoke.

Nervously clutching onto the basket full of goods, Hinata reluctantly took a step up the stairs to get to the second floor where Sasuke, as Naruto told her, resided. The ground beneath her eerily creaked as though the stair would give way and collapse. Making it to the second floor, Hinata hurriedly made her way to Sasuke's room, room 227, and rung the bell.

A minute went by and no one responded. She rung again, to no avail. The longer she stood out in the dark, the more she felt like someone was watching her. Impatient and tormented, Hinata spammed the doorbell, ready to bolt as it seemed like the darkness would devour her soul.

Her imagination got real fascinating when she thought she saw hungry, red, wolf eyes approaching her. "Pl-Please open the door Sasuke-kun," she pleaded while on the verge of passing out. Her eyes trembled, quaking with fear as the eyes neared her.

Finally, a glimmer of hope revealed itself as the door opened. "Oh. It's you," an impassive voice said. Hinata felt nervous, seeing a Sharingan eye peeking through the ajarred door. Suddenly, as if on cue, the building seemed to light up and reveal its original warmth. He opened the door further and Hinata could see him deactivate his bloodline limit.

Blinking dumbly, it dawned on Hinata that everything she 'imagined' was an illusion created by Sasuke. A stutter came out of her, but she lost her voice and couldn't say what she wanted to say.

Sasuke raised a brow, as if saying "so?" He held no remorse for frightening her. "So why are you here?" he asked, not too interested.

"Ano…" she thought to herself, tapping her chin. "That's right," she recalled, "I-I came by to drop off some onigiri." She held out the basket, hoping he'd accept it even though it wasn't much. She found herself staring at the ground, unable to look him directly in the eyes - a usual habit she did when she was intimidated. "And you left before I could say it, but…" she looked up, making eye contact with the Uchiha, "thank you for helping today."

Sasuke stared at her for a while as though trying to interpret her actions before taking the food. He grimaced, not too fond of the gleaming joy in her eyes when he accepted the gift. He simply waved his hand as a gesture of thanks, "Later," he murmured.

Hinata timidly raised her hand to wave back, "G-Goodnight-"

The door closed on her face.

Well, it's not like she was expecting him to invite her into his home, nor did she hope he would, but she didn't think it'd be _this _hard to make conversation with him. At least he didn't slam the door in her face as he did many times to Naruto.

Walking back home alone, she figured it was understandable why he was the way he was. Solitude and hate was all he knew because of how his brother and the clan was manipulated by the elders of Konoha. He lost everything and despite how difference Naruto and Sasuke was, they were frighteningly alike in the ways they lived.

She looked back at the Uchiha's home, noticing some distinct graffiti on the wall that said _"Get out, rogue bastard" _and _"No Uchihas!"_

A frown formed on her face. It was no wonder Sasuke put up a genjutsu to scare unwanted attention. Things weren't the same for Sasuke when he came back. Girls weren't fawning over him anymore and no one looked at him with admiration. He was just an unwanted traitor to the village in their eyes. The only ones who accepted him were his old teammates from team 7 - Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.

Hinata grimaced, pitying Sasuke, though she'd never tell him that because she knew he'd be angry.

* * *

**Next Day**

That morning, Hinata awoke in bed by herself. She outstretched her arms, sprawling across the bed with a slight yawn. After attending to herself, she quickly made breakfast and dressed in a light colored dress that reached her knees. Because she didn't have any missions to do, she felt it'd be good to drop off some things for Naruto while he was at the office.

Set to go, she left the house.

"Morning Hinata!"

Hinata glanced over her shoulder, seeing a white blur as something zoomed past her. She looked ahead, seeing Kiba riding on top of Akamaru. She greeted them both with gentle smile.

"Going to see that idiot Naruto?" Kiba winked, getting Hinata to grow tense. He barked out a laugh, never getting tired of her reactions. "Hinata's getting prettier by the day, eh Akamaru?" he patted his companion on the side, getting a howl in return. "Could it be because you're gonna be a _bride_?"

Hinata found her heart stuck in her throat as she panicked, choking from his teasing remarks. "D-Don't say that," she held her face, feeling the heat from her cheeks radiating.

"Don't be shy," Kiba smirked, "but really, I'm glad for you Hinata."

Hinata calmed down, her eyes relaxing. "Thank you," she replied.

Kiba returned a genuine smile. He glanced down at her, "Whatcha carrying there?" He tilted his head, examining the bag she held, trying to see through its contents. He figured it was something she didn't want him to see as she quickly tried to hide it from his sight. Still, she couldn't deceive his nose. Kiba sniffed the air, "Hm, some instant ramen, rice, beef, and vegetables. For Naruto?"

Hinata glanced down, digging the front of her foot into the ground like a shy schoolgirl who was discovered making lunch for her crush.

"Ah, lucky guy. I remember Hinata's cooking during our genin days!" He nodded, salivating just from reminiscing the taste.

She held a bittersweet smile. She really missed those days. "I'll make a batch for you and Akamaru tomorrow. It's usually just me at home, so I end up with leftovers most of the time."

Kiba threw a first in the air, "Awesome! We can't tell Shino about this okay?" he whispered in a secretive tone. "Knowing that guy, he'd definitely get jealous and moody."

Hinata laughed quietly. She'd make enough for all of them. "You don't have to walk me to the Hokage's office," she told, not wanting to be a burden.

Kiba insisted, saying it was necessary as she was the wife of the Hokage.

Hinata gave a shaky sigh, a little used to his teasing now.

He hopped off Akamaru and walked beside her, talking about what he'd been doing for the past few days and about his missions. Hinata listened attentively; she was the type of person to lend an ear rather than a mouth. "And then… something bothering you?" he asked, noticing that her mind was sort of wandering off.

Catching herself zoning out, Hinata shook her head, "Ah, gomen… go on."

Kiba frowned, tracing her eyes to where she was staring earlier. It led him to a certain building. "Is there something there that intrigues you?" He knew that Hinata never spaced out unless something was on her mind. He narrowed his eyes, but couldn't understand what had caught her attention.

"I-It's nothing," Hinata assured, quickening her pace.

Despite being called "second dumbest to Naruto," Kiba wasn't too dense in the head to put the pieces together. "That's where Sasuke lives. I smelled it earlier that you also were carrying some paint." He eyed the graffiti on the walls of the building and then groaned, throwing his head back.

Hinata wanted to disappear as she was caught red handed. She lowered her head, ready for a lecture.

"Hinata, I know what you're up to. But…"

Speaking quietly, she told him, "I-I was just going to clean the walls of the building. It's no big deal."

Kiba stared long and hard, wondering why she was such a good girl. "That Sasuke is no good Hinata. Don't get involved with him. I hate to say this, but he had it coming. Don't waste your kindness on that jerk. Recall that he was the reason why Chouji, Shikamaru, Neji, and I almost died," he said, reminding her of the time they went to try and rescue him when he sought out Orochimaru.

Hinata shuddered, getting struck down with each word he spoke. It was all true… but even though everyone still pictured Sasuke as that rogue ninja years ago, Hinata couldn't see it. How could she judge him when she never truly knew him? After yesterday, she definitely couldn't see Sasuke as a traitor. He helped her move the furniture and-...

She didn't have that much information about him to decide whether he was good or bad yet but… "I didn't sense any malice from him yesterday," she whispered.

"Yesterday?" Kiba asked, suddenly up in her face. "You were with him yesterday?" he asked, appalled and clearly overreacting like a father would.

Hinata shrugged, looking away from Kiba. "Na-Naruto-kun had him help move our furniture into the house and I delivered him some dinner… he didn't hurt me."

Kiba couldn't believe it. Hinata was brainwashed and she was defending the Uchiha. "Is he forcing you to clean that wall?" He pointed to the graffiti behind him with his thumb. He became ghastly, imagining Sasuke laughing like a maniac while whipping poor Hinata to do his dirty work.

"No," Hinata outright denied it. What scenario was he playing in his head, she wondered, seeing Kiba turn gaunt and beginning to hyperventilate. "I'm doing it because I want to."

Akamaru whimpered with his ears hanging low, worried for his friend. Kiba gasped, eyes protruding as he saw Hinata daringly walk up to the wall, pulling out her painting equipment. He jumped to her side, speaking to her in a low yet sharp voice, "What are you doing Hinata? That cocky bastard would only get angry at your actions; let's go before we're caught!"

Hinata didn't listen to a single word he said. "I'll be quick," she promised, dipping the brush into the gray paint and slathering it across the concrete wall, covering the nasty words and the picture of a large x over the Uchiha symbol.

Kiba on the other hand was frantically looking about, scouting to see if a certain Uchiha was going to pass by. Akamaru wailed, suddenly perking his ears. "I smell him coming!" Kiba ushered her to hurry.

"I'm almost done," she tiptoed, trying to reach for the rest of the graffiti. Her face was beaded with sweat, feeling the summer's heat getting to her now. "Ki-Kiba-kun, help me get this please," she glanced over her shoulder to see Kiba petrified and Akamaru growling at Sasuke.

He did not look too happy, not that he ever did, anyway. His dark eyes darted behind Hinata and back at her.

"S-Sasuke-kun," Hinata looked at the brush in her hand and quickly hid it behind her, although it was much too late to hide the evidence now. Sasuke took a step towards her.

"Hey, Sasuke! Hinata had good intentions," Kiba barked, though he received no attention from Sasuke. "Don't touch her," he warned, sneering with his slit eyes.

Hinata was tongue tied, not sure what Sasuke would do. He continued to come closer until he finally was practically brushing up against her. Unable to back up against the wall (since it was still wet with paint) all she could do was look away from him with shut eyes. Would he punch her? Put her under a painful genjutsu? She prepared for the worst.

"Hey," Sasuke spoke mundanely, "you missed a spot."

"E-Eh?" Hinata raised her head, looking to where the man was pointing at. She looked up, seeing the graffiti. "Oh… I couldn't reach it," she said, mostly to herself. She turned back to Sasuke, who was holding out his hand. She stared at it, almost as if she didn't know what it was.

"The brush," he said.

"Ah, right," she mumbled, feeling a tad dumb. Quickly, she handed it over. "Sh-Should I go grab a chair-"

It was unnecessary. Sasuke loomed over her effortlessly, not even needing to tiptoe. He reached up and swiftly ran the brush along the last graffiti. It dawned on her that Sasuke was quite tall, much more than she was at least. "Thank you," she spoke softly as he handed her back the brush.

"Hn." He gave another wave, walking up the stairs to get to his room.

When he was gone, Kiba was quick to scold Hinata. "Thank you? _He _should be thanking _you_!" Kiba couldn't believe how nice his friend was.

Hinata laughed softly. "I got carried away," she said.

"Hey, you," Sasuke's voice called from above. Hinata looked up, seeing him with the basket she gave him last night. "Catch." He dropped it and Hinata caught it.

"A-Ano…" Before she could say thanks, he was gone again. "Ah, Kiba-kun..!" She felt him snatch the basket from her arms. "What are you doing?" she asked, watching him flip the basket upside down and left and right as though he was trying to figure out what it was.

"I'm checking for any bombs or weapons he may have hidden in it," Kiba told, not looking at her but keeping his focus on the box.

"Th-that's not a nice thing to assume…" Hinata told.

"A-ha!" Kiba delved his hand into the basket, pulling out a small note. Hinata stared at it curiously. She never recalled putting a note into the basket. Kiba held it out, reading it aloud: _"Hinata, dinner was good."_

A flustered blush heated up on her cheeks. The stoic and unmovable Uchiha complimented her cooking skills?

"Ah, there's more!" Kiba shouted, continuing. _"Dog, you're annoying…" _Kiba's voice drifted off and he remained quiet until he realized what he just read. "That arrogant bastard!" He turned red with rage, kicking a nearby electricity pole and injuring himself in the foot.

Hinata smiled, glancing up at the door 227. She was right. Sasuke was just misunderstood and shouldn't have been judged from his past mistakes. He was… alright. "Ah, Naruto-kun's lunch," she hurriedly raced off to the Hokage's building.

* * *

**A/N: **And here goes up the first chapter! It's been looong overdue of me making a Naruto series. But here ya go. Hope you liked it! :)


	2. To Save a Friend

**"To Save a Friend"**

Hinata looked away from the scene, brushing her hair behind her ear while blushing shyly. "I-It's not much, but I hope you like it."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, quickly downing the food Hinata brought just moments ago. "You're the best, Hinata!" he said with a mouthful of ramen and rice. "They only have bland food here, so I appreciate it."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared in awe. Despite him thanking her for how much she does for him, she felt like she should be thanking him. Because of him, she was able to change… she was able to smile in dire situations.

"Baka!" Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs, rushing into the office. Naruto immediately dropped his chopsticks, yelling in pain as she tugged hard on his ear. Holding up his paperworks on the table, Sakura pointed out, "Who is going to take this seriously with all this rice and oil on it?"

"Gomenasai, gomenasai," Naruto cried, praying he'd at least escape with his life if not with his ear.

Sakura turned around, noticing Hinata staring at them with worried eyes. Her jaded eyes immediately darted towards the ring on Hinata's finger. "Oh, so it's true!" she gleamed.

Hinata smiled, nodding while trying to hide behind her hair.

"For a dense head like Naruto," Sakura shot a glare at the blonde, who cowered in fear behind his desk, "this is a pretty nice ring," she nodded. It was a simple gold ring with a beautiful diamond in the center. Her face suddenly went dark, reading the engraving on the ring. "Believe it?" she read aloud.

Naruto grinned, happy with his choice of words- "Itai!" he yelped, feeling Sakura ramming a knuckle into his skull.

"That is _so _unromantic!" She roared, gritting her teeth. "Would it have killed you to least write 'Believe it that I'll love you forever,' something - anything besides_ believe it_!"

Naruto gaped, amazed and regretting his catchphrase now. "But Sasuke suggested it!" he whined, scratching his head. "I thought that since he was _such _a ladies man, he'd know these things-"

"S-Sasuke-kun came up with it?" Hinata and Sakura asked in unison, though Hinata was stunned while Sakura seemed to suddenly be in love with the phrase.

Naruto nodded. "I asked him to help me pick out a ring, and when I asked what I should engrave on it, he shrugged and said believe it. Though," he scratched his head, thinking hard, "now that I recall, it did seem like he was joking."

Hinata gazed at the words on her ring, running a thumb over it.

"If you don't like it Hinata, I can always change it. Maybe something like,_ 'you are my forever, baby,' _or _'I love you, because that's my ninja way,'_ yeah?" Naruto asked, scribbling all of his ideas onto a piece of paper, suddenly gasping in distress when he wrote on something important.

Sakura nudged Hinata, "Or if you don't like it Hinata, you can give me that ring," she suggested.

Hinata stared blankly before suddenly breaking out into a quiet laugh. "That's okay, I like it the way it is." The phrase was something Naruto had voiced many times in the past. It was a phrase that gave hope and resolution, she felt.

* * *

**Later that Evening**

"And all I want to do is sleep," Naruto moaned, sluggishly dragging his legs back home with Hinata. Today he had somehow finished early and was finally able to return home. Naruto talked and talked, despite how tired he said he was, but Hinata couldn't hear a single word as it all sounded like she was underwater.

Her eyes stared intently at her left hand, which was entangled with Naruto's. His hand was large and warm, a bit calloused from training, but definitely reassuring. Her heart wasn't beating at a thousand miles, surprisingly. It was calm, yet unsteady. A loving smile tugged at her rosy lips. She was so happy.

Unfortunately, they had reached home. His hand left hers and she was left feeling empty again. "Argh, the keys, keys," Naruto mumbled, digging into his pockets, panicking when he thought he'd lost them. He laughed to hide his humiliation when he found them in his shoes. Yes, he was weird, she thought, but she didn't mind. "Found em'. What's that?" Naruto bent over, staring at a pot of lavender flowers.

Hinata shook her head no when Naruto asked if she had bought them. "Maybe Ino dropped them off?" she asked, picking up the pot.

Naruto squinted his eyes suspiciously at the plant. "Then they must be dangerous - hm, there's a letter. It's addressed to you," he handed the note to Hinata, who became even more confused. Who would send her a pot of lavender flowers?

She slowly walked into the house while Naruto rushed to the bathroom. Her eyes glanced over the scribbled writing, reading: _"I remember you muttering about how dull and boring your house was because of Naruto's overcrowding things. Here's something to lighten up the atmosphere. - Sasuke."_

Hinata blinked dumbly. She never said anything about her house being 'dull and boring.' Amused at Sasuke's opinion of their house, she grinned to herself. She set the flowers by the window so that they'd receive proper sunlight during the daytime.

She glanced around her house, hearing the silent ticking of the clock. Indeed, the place was quite plain. Most of the things here belonged to Naruto; she didn't bring much of her items for certain reasons. His ramen was stacked in one corner of the kitchen (and even in the closet) and his clothes racked the drawers. Even so, she liked it all; she liked being smothered by Naruto's presence.

"Whew, that was a bad one!" Naruto exclaimed while zipping up his pants; Hinata turned away, wide eyed. "Don't go in there if you appreciate your life," Naruto pointed to the bathroom. His crystal blue eyes curiously glanced towards the flowers from earlier. "Oh yeah, who sent those?" He hunched over them, squinting his eyes at the purple petals.

Hinata handed him a tissue box as he sneezed at the flower's scent. "From Sasuke-kun," she told.

"Eh?" Naruto frowned, digging his ear with his pinky as though he heard wrong. "You mean loner Sasuke who hates anything and everything that emanates happiness?"

She blinked stupidly, "Uchiha Sasuke," she clarified.

"Yeah, him." Naruto now eyed the flowers with suspicion, just like Kiba had with the picnic basket from earlier. "This clearly is a trap. When did _he _start sending flowers? Don't tell me…" Naruto instantly became bluish pale, "he plans to get revenge against me for all the things I did to him in the past? And in this flower is a bomb-"

"It's not like that," Hinata quickly butted in before Naruto's hair turned gray from stress. She liked his blonde hair just the way it was. "H-He just wanted to help us decorate our place, that's all. I think he did this as thanks for the dinner I made him and when I helped erm… paint his wall," she said, not going into too much detail with the whole graffiti thing.

Surprise was just all over his face. "You mean he didn't shut the door in your face?"

She shook her head no.

"Or told you that you were annoying?"

She frowned, a little worried, but shook her head no.

"Or threaten to put a restraining order against you?"

She stuttered for a moment, wondering just what Naruto went through with his days with Sasuke. She shook her head no.

"You're amazing Hinata," he patted her shoulder, getting her to freeze up as she grew flustered. "Well it's good that he doesn't hate you," he laughed, though Hinata wasn't sure whether that was good or bad. "Because I assigned him a mission that requires him to be around for a while."

Hinata raised her brows, "Wh-what?" she managed to ask.

Naruto nodded, pulling a seat for her to sit down, hinting that the conversation was going to either be (1) long, or (2) make her faint. She took a seat. "You see, I'm doing this to look out for Sasuke because he's a good friend of mine - don't tell him I said that." Hinata nodded, crossing her heart in promise. "Okay, well… it's been two years since he came back and, I'm sure you've noticed, but he hasn't made attempts to have a social life. Get me?"

Hinata nodded. She understood that much, after all, she had experienced a genjutsu he placed to keep people away from him.

"No one looks at him the same way anymore. He's just…" Something flickered in his eyes, and Hinata could see it, with or without her Byakugan. He was sad - extremely concerned for his best friend. His usual goofy grin was always something that she held precious and to see it suddenly broken made her realize that Sasuke was someone important to him. "I didn't bring him back to make him feel like a prisoner. No matter what I try, I can't get him to be the same."

Slowly, Hinata could see where this conversation was going.

"That's why, I want you to try and be his friend, if that's not asking too much," Naruto concluded.

Hinata stared, wide eyed at the proposal. She could only think of one question. "Why me?"

Naruto didn't have to ponder long, as though this was something he had already planned long ago. His smile returned, giving her relief. "The same reason why I'm marrying you. Because you're kind hearted and you look at a perspective that doesn't judge people."

She almost forgot how to breathe.

"Hinata, you have a trait that most people have abandoned. You have the ability to see people for who they are." His hand grasped hers, entrusting her with the task of saving his friend. "So please…" he pleaded desperately. He closed his eyes, waiting for her answer. For a while, nothing came.

But then gently, he felt her the palm of her hand against his cheek, caressing him with tender love. He opened his cerulean eyes, seeing a warm smile laced on her lips.

"Naruto-kun, whatever you choose to do, I'll support you… a hundred and ten percent."

Naruto swayed. How had he not notice her long ago?

Stuck in the awkward silence, Hinata stood up, "A-Anyway, would you like dinner? I could-" Her lips sealed shut when his met hers. She dazed, seeing yellow strands of hairs in her view. Her knees gave in, but she never fell over because of his strong arms wrapping around her waist.

"Hinata," Naruto murmured softly into her red ear.

Her eyes shut, finally giving into this pleasant warm feeling. She inhaled his scent; there was the smell of ramen and something sunny - sunflowers? And then there was another scent, but it didn't come from Naruto.

It was sweet, warm, and sort of a quiet smell. It was hard to catch but it was certainly there… Ah, that was it. It was the smell of lavender flowers.

* * *

**Next Day**

"Leaving already?" Hinata asked, stirring from her sleep. She focused on Naruto's silhouette form that was caused from the light coming from the window. She rubbed her lilac eyes, yawning.

Naruto pulled his pants on and squeezed his head through his undershirt. Warm goosebumps traveled up her arms when she felt his fingertips trail over her bare back, draping the sheet over her petite figure. "I'll be back for dinner," he ushered quietly, not wanting to disturb her while she was still half-asleep.

"Want breakfast?" Hinata murmured, unconsciously rolling out of bed and getting dressed.

Naruto caught her, "Sleepwalking at this age Hinata?" He chuckled, setting her back in bed, to which she fell asleep instantly. He couldn't blame her; it was five in the morning. He pressed his lips against her forehead before leaving the room without a sound.

Long ago, Naruto was always a prankster, but now that he was the Hokage, he had no more time to dilly dally.

"What's taking so long?" an irritated Uchiha asked, leaning against the doorway, waiting on his friend. His attention trailed down to a sleepy Hyuga.

Naruto was quick to put a finger to his lips, "Shh!" he noised, nodding his head to Hinata and giving gestures that'd he'd strangle Sasuke if he kept ogling his eyes at her black bra that was lying on the floor.

Sasuke rolled his eyes unconsciously, leaving the room and taking a seat at the dining table. Observing was always a habit of his - it was useful during battle, but annoying at times like this. He found himself memorizing the structure of Naruto and Hinata's home - there wasn't a trace of Hinata here. He noticed it when he first came to help move their furniture in.

The dobe had dozens of his usual attire and a countless amount of his personal belongings, or trash, as Sasuke preferred to call it. However, Hinata only had a small suitcase containing her things - clothes, he assumed. How come, he wondered? It was for that reason that he asked Ino to deliver some flowers to their residence.

When asked why from Ino, Sasuke had given her a drawn out sigh, wondering why it was necessary for her to know. He simply told her to get flowers that'd match the personality of someone who was "_quiet and annoyingly thoughtful._"

His gaze wandered to the nearby window, seeing the lavender flowers. A smirk plastered his face; the lavenders were more than appropriate.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto shouted from the across the room, receiving an irritated look from Sasuke. "I'm leaving now, so don't you think about laying a finger on Hinata, got it?" He stuck out his lower lip while keeping an eye on him.

"Then why are you giving me this stupid mission if I'm so untrustworthy?" Sasuke blandly asked, sounding as though he didn't even want to be there, because of course, he didn't.

Beforehand, Naruto had assigned Sasuke the task of guarding Hinata for the time being. He had told Sasuke that it was because of her bloodline limit and now that she was the future wife of the Hokage, she was sure to be in danger at some point. This was a lie though; Naruto already had a handful of ANBUs keeping an eye on Hinata. The truth was that he wanted Sasuke to warm up to people again with the help of Hinata's pure untainted heart. Though, he couldn't tell Sasuke this because it'd definitely anger him and his pride.

"Because I can!" Naruto told.

Sasuke blinked owlishly at the stupid reason. "Whatever," he pushed the matter aside, kicking his feet up on the table while leaning back in the chair. "Even if she's kidnapped, I don't think I'd give an ounce of my effort to save her."

Naruto glared. It only took someone who was talented at annoying people to irritate him this early in the morning. Naruto merely shrugged, giving a creepy grin instead, "We'll see about that. Just like how you can't turn away from a puppy, you won't be able to resist Hinata's cute charms~" _Ha, _Naruto thought, _I know you sent those flowers, Sasuke-baka. Don't pretend like you hate Hinata-_

"I hate puppies," Sasuke coldly told, amused as Naruto gasped.

"Kakashi-sensei would kill you if he heard that."

"Hn."

Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, Naruto realized he was already late - Sakura would murder him if she found out this was his third tardy of the week! "I'll be at my work office if Hinata asks," he said, adjusting his Konoha headband on his forehead, "And don't you dare eat my ramen," he hissed, glaring at Sasuke for a good three seconds to make sure he got the message before slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

Hinata wasn't sure when she woke up or how she got in the bathroom, but before she realized it, she had already brushed her teeth and combed her hair. She shivered, feeling the cold water splash onto her face. Patting her face dry with a white towel, she walked to her closet, pulling out her usual ninja attire. Today was a good day to train and strengthen her muscles.

She flexed her biceps, striking a few poses while pretending she was a pro-wrestler. Yes, she did these things when she was alone. A small giggle filled the air as she laughed at her own silliness.

After getting dressed, she decided she would make food for her old teammates, drop them off, and then go train. After that, maybe she'll go visit Kurenai-sensei and her child and then maybe visit her family back at the Hyuga compound. At the end of the day, she'll go see Naruto and end it with that. Yes, it sounded like a plan-

"Eh?" Hinata chirped, dumbfounded as she saw a pair of dark orbs staring right back her. How could she forget about _him_? Guess her schedule was about to change, or rather, her daily routine would have to change for the next few _weeks _to accustom to the fact that he'll be sticking around for a while.

Sasuke sat at the dining table, eating a bowl of ramen while sipping on a cup of tea. "Hey," he greeted casually.

* * *

**A/N: **And that was chapter two! Hope you liked it! Please let me know in the reviews what you guys think - I appreciate criticism too (but not rants).


	3. To Protect

**"To Protect"**

"Hey," Sasuke greeted nonchalantly as though him being there and eating one of Naruto's cup ramen was perfectly normal. He didn't pay much attention to Hinata, only looking back down to finish his last few bites.

Hinata gave two slow blinks, unsure what to make of the situation. She looked around, making sure she _was _in her home. She was. "G-Good morning..?" her voice drew out into silence. Despite the fact that this was her home and he was the one trespassing, she couldn't help but feel extremely out of place. Awkwardly, she took a seat on the opposite side of him. Her eyes traced over behind him, seeing the flowers he had gotten her. "Thank you for the flowers. They're really nice," she spoke quietly. At first, she wasn't sure if he had heard her because of his slow reaction.

Sasuke glanced up; his intimidating eyes met her innocent ones, causing her to flinch from the unexpected stare. He grabbed a napkin, gently patting around his mouth. "I hate ramen," he randomly informed.

Hinata shrank at the strange information. "I-I'm sorry…" she apologized, though she felt a little strange saying it because there was nothing for her to be sorry for. Her attention lingered on the empty bowl of what once was ramen.

"I only ate it to spite Naruto," he commented as he could see she was wondering why he'd eat it if he hated it.

A simple 'oh' left her. "That's not nice," she said, secretly hoping they'd get along in the future. "Na-Naruto-kun really wants to be your friend. So…" Her hands fisted a handful of her clothing as she wondered whether it was wise or not to talk back to the Uchiha. She looked up in surprise when she heard a low chuckle erupting in the air.

Sasuke shook his head, thinking Hinata was so naively kind. He couldn't handle women who were so innocent. It made him feel as though he'd have to tread lightly in fear of stepping on her feelings over the littlest things. "You take things too seriously." He watched in amusement, seeing a guilty shade of pink plaster on her cheeks.

Hinata pushed her chair back, rising from her seat and rummaged through the fridge, forgetting about the Uchiha. He watched her carefully from the corner of his eyes, wondering what she was up to. She had misunderstood him. Hinata had assumed he wasn't a bad guy, but this… he just liked teasing her, but she wasn't going to tolerate it. "Please cut these vegetables," she set down a plate of broccoli, carrots, and onions in front of him.

Sasuke's brow curved upwards as though he were asking her if she was serious. "No," he bluntly told outright. They stared at each other for a good ten seconds as though daring the other to make a move.

Hinata struggled to put on her meanest face, though she failed miserably. If she was going to keep her promise to Naruto, she was going to have to be firm with Sasuke and show him who was boss. She puffed her face and at the same time, she was conflicted with herself as she wanted to apologize to Sasuke for being a pain.

She stared at him, and only now did she really study his features. Hinata hadn't been one to really observe others, only Naruto. She never noticed why girls were always ogling over Sasuke, but now she could sort of understand why. His eyes were dark and mysterious, sort of alluring. His skin was fair, but not as much as hers, and it was smooth. His nose was slender and long and his lips thin. He was very handsome. However, his looks were _definitely _second best to Naruto's, she thought in all honesty.

At the same time, Sasuke too was studying her. Her appearance was everything he'd expect from the noble Hyuga family. White skin, long dark hair, and white orbs that held the bloodline limit Byakugan.

After a brief moment of confrontation, Hinata had decided to give up, seeing as he was too stubborn for her. She didn't have all day to pick a fight with him. Her teammates were going to get hungry.

Sasuke could see that disappointment was written all over her face. Her brows knitted towards each other and her hands were fidgeting. He twitched. "Stop that. It's annoying," he told, seeing her eyes uplift with unexpectancy at his rude comment. He grabbed the knife, scaring Hinata a little, but she relaxed as he began slicing the vegetables.

Her lips tugged upward as she seemed pleased. "Thank you," she said, walking over to the stove to cook the meat.

Sasuke glared at the cutting board, wondering how babysitting a Hyuga suddenly turned him into a cooking apprentice. Even so, it wasn't too bad. Usually, he'd be sitting at home and simply do nothing. Or sometimes he'd take a long walk or train. However, this - cooking - it was quite refreshing for a change.

* * *

Hinata carried in her arms three lunch boxes and a bag of treats. Her usual smile graced her lips as she strolled across town to get to the training grounds where her teammates were at. The busy streets of Konoha were always nice to blend in, she felt. Being the heiress of the noble Hyuga clan always made her stand out, but standing in the crowd made her feel quite… normal. It was nice.

She stopped in her tracks, feeling a few shoulders bump past her as she caused traffic in the flowing movement of people. "Why are you walking so far behind me?" she asked, looking over her shoulder and seeing the Uchiha minding his business like he didn't know her. Her face lit up, like she was expecting something, when he walked towards her. However, a look of dejection came over when he went past her. _Am I a bother? _she wondered.

It was most likely true. Who wanted to babysit a grown woman? She sulked, following not too far behind Sasuke.

"_Hey, isn't that Uchiha Sasuke?"_

"_Yeah, it is… It's always rare to see him out in the open like this."_

"_Really? Well I'd prefer it if he never showed his face at all. Traitor…"_

Hinata's face burned as she finally heard the gossipping. She followed the voices, seeing that they were coming from… everyone. Their eyes were glued to the man in front of her with hate and rejection. They looked at him the same way they looked at Naruto so long ago. There was an ache in her… She knew Sasuke heard; the villagers didn't even try to be discreet about their dislike for him. they wanted him to know - they hoped he was suffering.

_Ah… _she thought, _so that's why he isn't walking beside me. _He didn't want her to get mixed up in his business.

And all this stirred something inside of her. "Sasuke-kun," she grabbed his wrist, stopping him and everyone else. The talking stopped.

Sasuke turned around, almost hesitantly. Hinata quaked beneath his glare, but she never let go of him. She gulped, holding her ground.

"P-Please walk with me," she proposed.

His gaze remained glued to her face, watching her grow more frantic with each passing second. Why was she trying so hard to be his friend despite the fact that she was afraid of him? He mentally chuckled to himself. She looked like she'd cry any second. "Give me that." He swiftly swiped the lunch boxes out of her arm and tugged away from her grip.

Hinata gawked, unsure if he allowed her to walk beside him. She did anyway. And the gossipping ceased.

Of course people were rather curious as to why the ex-rogue ninja was accompanying the byakugan user, but they knew better than to gossip badly about Hinata Hyuga. She _is _the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga and the fiancee of the Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.

Hinata looked onward, ignoring the stares they were getting. "Ano…" she quietly murmured. For some reason, she felt the need to start a conversation to try and get their thoughts off of what happened minutes ago. She could tell Sasuke was listening to what she had to say, which only made it more difficult to find something to talk about.

Sasuke eyed her, waiting for what she had to say. There were soft stutters here and there, but nothing of human language as he could tell. He sighed, hearing her twist the paper bag of treats in her hands. "Not another sound," he said and she immediately did. "I'd rather you be quiet than talk gibberish."

Embarrassment was written all over her and she quickly nodded, pursing her lips into a permanent seal for the rest of the trip.

After a walk (of absolute silence), the duo arrived at the team 8 training grounds. It was a large area surrounded by trees, much like the training area that previous team 7 worked at. The ground was uneven with patches of grass here and there, probably from the constant damage done to it from people training on it.

From a distance, Sasuke could see two distinct figures… and a dog. Rather than deal with Hinata's teammates, he'd rather leave. "I'm leaving-" Before he could though, Kiba had already taken a whiff of his scent.

"You brought _him _along Hinata?" Kiba asked, rushing over as though she was in danger. "Look Uchiha, I don't like you and I _especially _need to owe you a favor for that insult last time!" he snarled and his face flashed red in anger as the words, _'annoying dog,' _that Sasuke labeled him echoed in his head.

Akamaru arrived beside his best friend, supporting him wholeheartedly while staring down Sasuke with bared teeth as well.

Shino, however, was the last to arrive on the scene, not too bothered by the once-rogue ninja. "Stop it, Kiba. You cannot win. Why? Because he is stronger than you," he stated as-a-matter-of-fact, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

This remark only further provoked Kiba into lunging at Sasuke, who, to everyone's surprise, didn't step out of the way or bother to make an effort to retaliate. The only reason why Kiba wasn't beating his fists into Sasuke's pretty face was because Hinata had stepped in the way, extending out her arms to protect the boy.

"Hinata, get out of the way," Kiba ordered, to which she shook her head. "Are you protecting him?" he asked, almost feeling like his heart was ripped out of his chest to realize that his teammate would choose Sasuke over him.

Hinata simply shook her head again. She parted her lips, "Y-You'll ruin the lunch," she told, looking at the food that Sasuke still carried.

Two slow blinks came from Kiba before he grinned, ear to ear. "Hinata's cooking!" He immediately forgot about his anger and snatched the food from Sasuke's arms, distributing a box to Shino and another to Hinata, leaving one for himself. "Oh man, this is so good! You never fail, Hinata!" Kiba said between chews and swallows as he ate messily.

Hinata couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'm s-sure Sasuke-kun is glad to hear that since he's the one who made it."

Sasuke was pleased to see Kiba choking and gagging while grabbing his throat in shock. "I agree. The _dog _meat I used in the dish _is_ good," he said, intrigued to see Kiba's face turn a shade of blue he never knew existed before.

"D-Don't worry Kiba-kun, I watched him the entire time. It's beef," Hinata promised, patting Kiba's back while assuring Akamaru that his owner was going to be just fine.

Hinata sighed, relieved that no one had gotten too hurt. "Here, Akamaru," she smiled to the large beastly dog, giving him the bag of treats. He barked back in gratitude before taking the food. "Sasuke-kun," she turned him, catching him in his attempt to escape the scene. "Your share," she pushed the lunchbox into his arms. When he raised his brow, she quickly explained, "I already ate."

It was a lie. And Sasuke knew. And even though he did, he took it anyway. If she'd rather be nice, Sasuke thought, so nice that she'd starve than to have him be hungry, so be it. She did it to herself. "Suit yourself," he uttered.

He heard rumors about the famous heiress, Hyuga Hinata. She was someone who was "too nice for her own good." In essence, someone who wasn't fit to be a shinobi. In a world of survival of the fittest, she would be the first to die. Yes, she was a species close to extinction - nice people like her don't exist anymore because being nice has no benefits.

Sitting down against a tree, Sasuke ate in quiet while watching the old members of team 8 train under the hot sun. He found it boring, though especially entertaining when Kiba was tripped by Shino and landed face down in the ground.

"You're grinning, Sasuke-kun," Hinata noted the barely visible amusement on his face. He immediately covered it up with his usual poker face. "D-Do you find it funny to see others in pain?" she asked. Once again, his smirk returned. It worried her that she was going to be stuck with a sadist for a while. She leaned against a tree that was three trees down from where he was. "W-Would you like to train with us?" she asked.

A light scoff was heard from Sasuke as he patted his lips with a napkin. "None of your teammates, including you, would match my strength." It'd be easy to put the dogboy into a genjutsu to make him think he was covered in ticks and fleas, no doubt about that. In a fight of taijutsu, he was sure he'd crush Hinata easily. And using his flame techniques, it'd be easy to roast Shino's bugs in seconds.

Hinata frowned at his underestimating them. "You shouldn't judge us yet. Sh-Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, and Akamaru are all strong. Sh-Shino-kun is smart," she nodded, "a-and Kiba-kun and Akamaru both are stubborn-"

"And you?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata's eyes paled a little more, if that was even possible, and she found herself shrinking in doubt at his question. "I-I…" she stammered, losing her voice. She had convinced herself long ago that she was not strong. Compared to her sister, she was pathetic. That was what she told herself. She was weak - someone who wasn't fit to be the heiress to the Hyuga family.

However, that was the old Hinata - the insecure and no-self confidence her from years ago.

"I _am_ strong," she said in a hushed voice, but it bore strength at the core. "I have to be." A faint smile carved its way onto her face.

Sasuke, for a very brief moment, was surprised by her sudden confidence. There was a time in his life when he felt so weak and inferior compared to Naruto. Because of that, he had sought Orochimaru for power, leading him down the path of darkness. "For what reason?" he asked, truly curious, though it didn't show in his voice or expression.

Hinata, too, was surprised by his sudden questions. Was he really intrigued with her boring reasons and views? There was a drawn out silence before she answered, "For Naruto, my clan, and the village." Yes, she had to be strong for all of them. "I think that…" she tapped her chin, thinking of a good way to put it. Her eyes lit up as she put a fist to her palm, "I think that when you have someone or something to protect, you can become stronger."

_Someone to protect? _Sasuke's onyx eyes met her warm ones and he stared at her, as though searching for an answer in her. What did that mean anyway? Of course, he knew what it meant, but something like that was something he couldn't relate to. His whole clan was gone - the whole village didn't even care about him - what could he protect?

Hinata flinched, afraid she had misspoken as the Uchiha bore a glare into her. Little did she realize that he was just thinking deeply about her answer. "A-anyway, that's j-just how I feel," she murmured, quickly reverting back to her soft spoken self. "So, do you feel like training now?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.

Sasuke, deciding to leave the question of what to protect at the back of his mind for later, activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, revealing the intriguing patterns inside the crimson red of his eye. "Hn, I'll show you the strength of the Uchiha. Let's see who's better: the Hyuga or the Uchiha?"

Hinata was taken back by the beauty of the Uchiha's bloodline limit. She nodded, prepared for the challenge. "I won't hold back," she promised, activating her Byakugan.

* * *

**Hokage's Office**

"_Really_ Sasuke?" Naruto asked with blue eyes bulging in outrage. "I gave you a job to protect Hinata; not even a day into your job and she already has a broken arm? And nonetheless it's _you _who broke it?" His blue eyes bulged in outrage as he stared at his fiancee whose arm was limp and beginning to swell.

Hinata smiled weakly despite the pain shooting in her limb, "I-It's okay Naruto-kun," she said, blushing madly to know that Naruto cared for her well being so much. "I-I did quite a number on him too, so we're even."

It was true. Sasuke, who was standing in front of the desk beside her, was covered in some bruises and probably some internal damage from her. "Be glad I wasn't fighting seriously, dobe," he said dully, only irking the Uzumaki even more.

"That's all you have to say?" Naruto asked, appalled at how rude his friend could be. "What if she was pregnant-..." Naruto's face became pale and Hinata's red. "Oh my Kami! Did Sasuke hurt you baby?" he asked, screaming at Hinata's flat stomach.

Sasuke restrained a sigh. "There's no hope for this village with you as Hokage," he deadpanned.

The chaos in the room was quickly cut short when the door opened. Sakura came in with paperwork in hand, "Naruto-_baka,_ these are unfinished-" her sentence, too, was cut short when she met eyes with her longtime, unrequited love. "S-Sasuke-kun," she said dumbly.

"Sakura," Sasuke acknowledged her presence.

"Sakura, _quick_! Heal Hinata and our baby!" Naruto ordered, frantic as the seconds passed. Hinata was on the verge of passing out.

Sakura was slow to react. "Oh…" Her gaze lingered on the Uchiha, but she eventually turned to the Hyuga. "You're pregnant Hinata?" she asked, surprised at the news.

Hinata, as red as the blood that rushed to her cheeks, quickly shook her head no. "I-I… I a-am not."

Placing the papers away and putting her hands on Hinata's arm, a jade green light radiated out of Sakura's palms, quickly soothing the pain from the wound and repairing the shattered bone. "Th-Thank you very much Sakura-san," Hinata told politely, bowing her head.

"Not at all!" Sakura replied, glad to be able to heal the wounded. She turned to Sasuke, "Would you like me to heal your wounds too?" she asked, her voice soft and caring.

It was clear to everyone in the room that Sakura had a deep affection towards Sasuke. Hinata blushed as Naruto glanced at her with a sheepish smile. She too had been in Sakura's situation at one point. It was her, always secretly admiring Naruto. _'Love conquers all,'_ she remembered Sakura saying that a lot back then. _Do your best, Sakura-san, _Hinata cheered on quietly.

Everyone was quiet, waiting for Sasuke's response. It was almost tense, as though waiting for an important announcement that would decide the fate of the world. Finally, he looked away, "Do what you want," he answered, taking a seat on a nearby couch.

Sakura's eyes lit with surprise, but mostly joy that Sasuke didn't push her away like he normally would. "Please put out your arm," she instructed and used the same procedure she used on Hinata on him.

Naruto turned to Hinata, "Oi, maybe our plan _is _working. Sasuke doesn't seem to hate me as much and he's actually accepting help from Sakura," he whispered quietly.

Hinata smiled, glad to see that she had succeeded in some ways. She didn't think it'd be possible, really, but somehow it worked. "I-I'm happy things can go back to the way they were. "

Yes, everything will be the same again. She'll get Sasuke to accept everyone again and she'll get others to accept him as well.

* * *

**A/N: **Let me know how you felt about this chapter! Am I pacing too fast? Too slow? Just right? I'm not making the characters OOC am I? Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!


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